Few countries in the world offer as many choices to the traveller as Canada. Whether your passion is skiing, sailing, museum-combing or indulging in exceptional cuisine, Canada has it all. Western Canada is renowned for its stunningly beautiful countryside; Eastern Canada mixes the flavour and charm of Europe with the bustle of New York; wildlife viewing is at its best in Northern Canada; and everywhere you will be surprised by how much more there is to this country than just maple syrup and Mounties.

Native peoples
However, Canada also has its fair share of unsavoury history. Indigenous peoples (including the Inuit of the far north and members of Canada's First Nations) maintain that traditional lands were taken from them by force or subterfuge by previous governments.

There have been some small measures to tackle their grievances: in 1993, a land claim settlement gave the Inuit control over a 350,000 sq km (135,135 sq miles) area of the Northwest Territories; in 1999, the federal government created the new territory of Nunavut from these and additional lands. There is certainly room in Canada to accommodate these peoples: despite Canada's gigantic size, the country is sparsely populated. Most people congregate around urban centres; venturing into more remote rural areas, you may well have only the country's stunning scenery as your companion.

Peace after conflict
Indeed, Canada is so beautifully diverse that it's easy to comprehend why so many people fought for possession of it. During the 18th century, the Anglo-French war over Canada ended with the capitulation of New France to the English. The Americans made a number of efforts to seize control of Britain's Canadian territories after Britain's defeat in the American War of Independence, but failed.

Canada now promotes itself as a country of peace, most notably in recent times in its opposition to the USA-led war against Iraq. Canada governs itself independently but still has the British monarch as its head of state, with relatively little dissent. These factors are typical of a country that somehow succeeds in unifying incredible range. After all, it spans six time zones and borders three oceans.

Some of the world's finest sporting talent can be seen in action in the Canadian city Vancouver from 12-28 February 2010 when it plays host to the 2010 Winter Olympics.